New Video: The Artful and Menacing Visuals for The Parrots’ “A Thousand Ways”

Unsurprisingly, after almost seven years of running this site, the site has accumulated a number of mainstay artists from all over the world. Now, if you’ve been frequenting this site over the past couple of years, you’ve likely come across a post or two on the Madrid, Spain-based trio The Parrots. Comprised of Diego Garcia (vocals, guitar), Alejandro de Lucas (bass) and Daniel “Larry” Balboa (drums), the Spanish trio are part of a burgeoning Madrid-based garage rock/indie rock scene that includes the internationally acclaimed Hinds. As for Garcia, de Lucas and Balboa, the trio with the self-release of a demo quickly became a DIY sensation in their hometown — and with the release of the video for “I Did Something Wrong” off their Aden Arabie EP, the trio started to receive attention for a sound that drew from 60s garage rock and psych rock; but with a loose, boozy and riotous feel that compared favorably to the likes of Thee Oh Sees, Black Lips, Raccoon Fighter, High Waisted, White Mystery and others.

Adding to a growing international profile, last year NME named the Spanish trio as one of SXSW‘s “buzziest bands” and since then the members of The Parrots have been incredibly busy — they’ve released a critically applauded EP Weed for The Parrots, have toured relentlessly and played an incredible 14 shows at this year’s SXSW (in which they were later signed by renowned indie label Heavenly Recordings). Building on the growing buzz around the band, the trio spent a week at Paco Loco Studios in El Puerto de Santa Maria in Cadiz, Spain, where they recorded their latest effort Los Ninos Sin Miedos. And if you had been frequenting this site earlier this year, you may recall that I wrote about album single “Let’s Do It Again,” a single reportedly inspired by the members of the band drinking beers and Horchata, eating Moroccan delicacies and feelings of deep friendship and loyalty and as a result the song possesses a shuffling, intoxicated feel of elation and adventure — the sort that would come about when you’ve drunkenly stumbled along a new best friend. Sonically, the single furthered their reputation for crafting raw, shaggy garage rock that channeled the sounds of 1961-1965.

As the band explains, their latest single “A Thousand Ways” draws from the key moment in one’s teenage years, when you are probably most tempted by the forbidden and unknown, and you then avoid responsibilities and complex responsibilities. “This is the moment when, along with your friends, childhood dies,” the band says. Interestingly, the latest single continues along the same veins of the album’s previously released single while nodding at other contemporary garage rock acts like Raccoon Fighter and others, as the band pairs Garcia’s howled vocals mangling the English language with an unvarnished and wild earnestness with buzzing guitars and a propulsive backbeat. And the band does this while evoking a stoner elation and paranoia.

Directed by frequent collaborator Pablo Amores, the recently released video for “A Thousand Ways” is a cinematically shot video that’s one part perfume ad, one part art film, one part Stanley Kubrick‘s A Clockwork Orangethat ends in a gorgeous and surreal fashion.

The Parrots will be playing a number of shows to close out 2016 and begin 2017 and their tour will include their first ever NYC date at Shea Stadium in March before they head off to another SXSW. Check out tour dates below.

William Ruben Helms

I'm a music blogger, critic and photographer, who has had articles and photos published in The New York Press, New York Magazine's Vulture Blog, Ins&Outs Magazine, The Noise Beneath the Apple, Glide Magazine, The Whiskey Dregs Magazine and others.